Tag Archives: motorsports

The July 2017 Member Competition theme was Moment of Impact and judged by Rick Kent. To enter future photo club competitions, please join and then submit your images. If it’s your first time submitting, please be sure to review the competition rules.

Monthly Competition with Judge Andrew Fritz

Submission Deadline: Midnight, Sunday July 31st.

August’s theme is “After Dark”. The world after dark is changed visually. Photographers have a special power to capture it in new and interesting ways. Photos must be made after dark or in a dark environment. Any image from the last 2 years may be entered. Image submission is open until midnight on Sunday July 31st. Participants will be divided into two classes. Each club member will choose which class to enter. For more information, see this post.

Our guest judge for August’s competition will be Andrew Fritz of AzulOx Visuals.

Speaker – Bill Bunton, Club Member

Bill is an Austin area electrical engineer and committed photographer. Bill started learning photography while stationed in Germany, where he purchased his first 35mm SLR camera – a Pentax Spotmatic at the Post Exchange.

Bill took advantage of the on-post darkroom facilities and inexpensive black-and white film; he shot and processed tens of rolls per month. Some of the exposures were demonstrations of shutter-speed and lens-aperture effects; others were experiments in pushing Tri-X to higher ISOs. Following weekends of travel, it was not unexpected to have 12 or 16 rolls of Tri-X film to develop. This effort brought him a second place and two third place trophies in the US Army in Europe photo contest.

After leaving the service and returning to Austin, the pace of photography slowed. Without easy access to a darkroom, processing was more expensive and required more time. He was able to upgrade to his first Nikon – an F2 with a 43-86 f3.5 lens. Photography continued to receive less and less attention, though the F2 was used occasionally.

His long dormant photography addiction returned in its full glory when he acquired Lightroom and his first DSLR – a Nikon D300. During this time, he found a way to make photography twice as expensive, by introducing his wife (Evelyn) to high quality cameras and lenses. Needless to say, the equipment list has grown longer with almost two of everything. You can’t expect two adult engineers to share expensive equipment. Bill rarely passes an opportunity to learn or to share what he has learned. He is comfortable applying complex techniques to get a unique image. Bill’s photography interests vary widely, covering landscape, macro, the Austin music scene, but his favorite is motor-sports and action.

Behind the Wire – Auto Sports Photography

How do you photograph motor-sports without event promoter credentials? How do you shoot photographs as a simple spectator, without access to dedicated photographer locations between the track’s wire fences?

Bill will discuss his experience photographing at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) Austin. His presentation will cover choosing shooting locations, equipment, and camera settings. He will present images that are the result of good choices, bad choice, and simple good luck (right place, right time & right equipment).

Class 1

1st – Misty Morning by Carol McAllen

The judge’s paraphrased thoughts on why this image won:

This is a great landscape photo. The photographer hit all the key elements. They were there at the right time of day (early morning presumably), during the right time of year (leaves changing) under the right conditions (mist rising over the creek). The composition is pleasingly broken into triangular elements.

2nd – Cambodian Mother and Child – Janet White

3rd – Palacious Shrimper by Dennis Isenberg

Honorable Mentions

Esses in the Rain, Bill Bunton

Reflections, Shawn Hutcherson

Yellow Hat, Sabrena Rexing

Class 2

We had 17 entries in class 2 with 4 awards (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 1 honorable mention). The winning images are below.

1st – The Eyes Have It by Keith Mitchell

The judge’s paraphrased thoughts on why this image won:

Photos of babies are hard to make interesting to viewers beyond the friends and family context. This photo transcends that. While the lighting and post processing are good, what really makes the photo is the babies eyes. They are staring straight and intensely into the camera which creates a connection with the viewer.

About NAPfS

Club Meetings

NAPfS meets the first Thursday of each month, year around, rain or shine. For the current meeting location, see the blog. Meetings start at 7:00 PM with a meet and greet, followed by official activities starting at 7:15 PM. Meetings typically conclude by 9:00 PM. Members, their guests, and non-members alike are welcome.

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About NAPfS

North Austin Pfotographic Society is a 501(c)7 non-profit photography club located in north Austin, Texas. All experience levels and genre of photographers are welcome. The club hosts monthly meetings with speakers and a live critiqued competition and regular field trips.